the problem is: Support questions for 3rd party things, (mods, themes or other expansions) do not belong in the SMF 1.1.x or SMF 2.x suppoort area.There IS a board (on simplemahcines.org) dedicated to supporting those 3rd party things. The mods board has a thread for each and every mod.The themes board has a thread for eahc and every theme.

Questions about those mods or themes should be posted in those threads.

I provide support for a number of mods. Ones that I am familiar with... and ones in which I have marked the mod support thread as something to regularly check. You are also much more likely to have someone who has either encountered the same problem with the same mod, or is familiar with the mod when you post in the mod specific support thread.

So, it's not that I don't provide support for the 3rd party stuff... it's that the question should be asked in the appropriate area, not in general support, which is primarily for SMF base-code related questions/issues.

It is, as always, the author's repsonsibility to support anything that he writes. If SMF support staff or SMF members are familiar with the mod or can help debug it... then great (and many of us do so) but my point remains, support for 3rd party stuff does not belong in the general support area, since third party mods changes the baseline code, sometimes away from the simple answers (like the guy who has 103 mods installed...).The other point is that people apparently don't like to read previous threads or use search... because 75% of the questions that are asked regarding mods have alreayd been answered in the support thread.

metallica48423:
Kindred: i don't think its so much a complaint as it is feedback, to be fair.

both of you present some very good points. I do feel we need to be more open to third party development.

To be fair as well, some such mod authors ask that support inquiries go to their individual sites. We aren't just offloading it because we don't want to do it.

You are the odd one sorry m8..., If you read the thread properly you would understand what its about and its just feedback to see how SMF can help 3PD's.

I cant be bothered to make much of a reply ive said all I think SMF needs to know,mods were used as an example.

Eliana Tamerin:
I think Kindred has a definite point. You do as well.

Some of the 3PD are so big (like TinyPortal, Arcade, Shop, etc) that their developers have seen fit to create an entire support board for them. Registration is generally open on those forums, so those that feel comfortable with offering support for those mods can become a member on those forums as well.

I think your point about overwhelmed mod authors is valid. So, too, is Kindred's point about every mod having a dedicated support thread here on Simplemachines.org. There are many mods where the authors are infrequently active, and so support is mainly handled by experienced users of the mod, rather than the author.

Also, I think it's important that we continue to stay positive about comments in here. Everybody has a valid point and should be considered without simple dismissal.

Kindred:
right... I wasn't trying to say nightbre was "wrong"... I just don't understand the insistance that support for 3rd party mods should be handled in the general support area.

3rd party stuff needs support, no question about it. The primary support should be the 3rd part author. Secondary support should be users and/or staff who have experience with coding or with that specific mod. However, I believe that 3rd Party support does not belong in the general support... nor should it be the primary task of support staff to support the thousands of mods that are available.